Abstract: A positioning device comprising a first part and a second part which is displaceable relative to the first part by means of a system of Lorentz-force motors, whereby, relative to the first part, the second part is supported in a Z-direction by means of at least one gas cylinder, said gas cylinder comprising a housing having a pressure chamber, which housing is coupled to the first part; and a piston which is coupled to the second part and which can be displaced in the pressure chamber in the Z-direction, said piston being journaled relative to said housing substantially at right angles to the Z-direction.

Abstract: Aberrations of an imaging system (PL) can be detected in an accurate and reliable way by imaging, by means of the imaging system, a circular phase structure (22) on a photoresist (PR), developing the resist and scanning it with a scanning detection device (SEM) which is coupled to an image processor (IP). The circular phase structure is imaged in a ring structure (25) and each type of aberration, like coma, astigmatism, three-point aberration, etc. causes a specific change in the shape of the inner contour (CI) and the outer contour (CE) of the ring and/or a change in the distance between these contours, so that the aberrations can be detected independently of each other. Each type of aberration is represented by a specific Fourier harmonic (Z−), which is composed of Zernike coefficients (Z−), each representing a specific lower or higher order sub-aberration.

Abstract: A gas (air) beating in a ceramic body is made using a separate restriction member to define the air restriction feature. The separate member may be a metal bushing in which an insert is fitted, the insert having an opening defining the actual restriction feature. Alternatively the separate member may be a ceramic plate with restriction features machined by laser or abrasion before or after attachment to the main body.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus with an off-axis alignment unit for aligning a substrate alignment mark (P1) with respect to a reference (RGP) is described. This unit comprises a structure (WEP) of deflection elements (80-86) which give the sub-beams having different diffraction orders coming from the diffractive substrate mark (P1) different directions so that these sub-beams are incident on separate reference gratings (90-96) and can be detected by separate detectors (DET). This unit also provides the possibility of aligning asymmetrical alignment marks with great accuracy.

Abstract: A positioning device has first and second object holders that are guided over a guiding surface extending parallel to an X-direction and parallel to a Y-direction perpendicular to the X-direction and which are displaceable over the guiding surface from a first position into a second position by means of a displacement system. The displacement system includes a first displacement unit and a second displacement unit to which the object holders can be alternately coupled. The first displacement unit is suitable for carrying out a first series of positioning steps of the first object holder in the first position and for displacing the first object holder from the first position into an intermediate position between the first and second positions.

Abstract: Photolithographic apparatus (1) including an illumination unit (3). The illumination unit (3) comprises, in this order, a radiation source unit (11), a first optical system (5) and an optical waveguide (17). The apparatus (1) further includes a second optical system (7) and a mask table (9). The apparatus (1) is adapted in such a way that both the stepper mode and the scanner mode are selectable modi, and comprises means by which the illumination unit (11), when being operative, has a slit-shaped static illumination field with a width s which is variable between smin and smax while substantially maintaining energy within the static illumination field.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus comprising: a radiation system (7) for supplying a projection beam (25) of radiation; a mask table (5) provided with a mask holder (27) for holding a mask (29); a substrate table (1) provided with a substrate holder (17) for holding a substrate (19); a projection system (3) for imaging an irradiated portion of the mask (29) onto a target portion (35) of the substrate (19), the substrate holder (17) comprising a plate (2) having a face (4) which is provided with a matrix arrangement of protrusions (6), each protrusion (6) having an extremity (6′) remote from the face (4) and being thus embodied that the said extremities (6′) all lie within a single substantially flat plane (6″) at a height H above the face (4), the substrate holder (17) further comprising a wall (8) which protrudes from the face (4), substantially encloses the matrix arrangement, and has a substantially uniform height h above the face (4), whereby h<H, the face (4) inside the wall (

Abstract: A supporting device (53) provided with a first part (69), a second part (71), and a gas spring (73) for supporting the second part relative to the first part parallel to a support direction (Z). The gas spring (73) comprises a pressure chamber (75) which is provided in an intermediate part (79) and is bounded by a piston (81) which is displaceable in the intermediate part (79) parallel to the support direction and is supported perpendicularly to the support direction by means of a static gas bearing (85). A stiffness of the supporting device parallel to the support direction is thus substantially entirely determined by a stiffness of the gas spring, and a low stiffness can be achieved through a suitable design of the gas spring. A transmission of vibrations directed parallel to the support direction from the first part to the second part is prevented as much as possible thereby. The invention also relates to a lithography device having a plurality of such supporting devices.

Abstract: In a lithographic projection apparatus, a time-saving height measurement method is used. While in a projection station (105,108,111) the pattern of a mask (129) is projected on the fields of a first substrate (120), the height of the fields of a second substrate (121) is measured in a measuring station (133). In the measuring station, the height of the substrate fields and the height of the substrate holder (113) are measured by a first height sensor (150) and a second height sensor (160), respectively, and the value of the height of the substrate holder associated with the ideal height of the substrate field is determined for each substrate field. In the projection station, only the height of the substrate holder (111) is controlled by a third height sensor (180). The second and third height sensors are preferably part of a composite XY interferometer system extended with a Z measuring axis.

Abstract: An alignment device, for use in a lithographic apparatus, for aligning a first object, provided with a first alignment mark relative to a second object, provided with a second alignment mark, employs as a radiation source a laser which emits an alignment beam having a wavelength which is of the order of 1000 nm and to the order of 1100 nm.

Abstract: Support device (53) provided with a first part (69) and a second part (71) which is supported relative to the first part by means of a gas spring (73) having a pressure chamber (75). A gas supply (117), which compensates for gas leakage from the pressure chamber (75) during operation, is connected to an intermediate space (119) which is in communication with the pressure chamber (75) via a pneumatic restriction (121). The gas pressure present in the intermediate space (119) is held as constant as possible during operation by means of a control loop (123), to prevent transmission of pressure fluctuations which are present in the gas supply (117) to the pressure chamber (75) as much as possible. Such pressure fluctuations are undesirable in the pressure chamber because they cause mechanical vibrations in the second part of the support device and the device to be supported.

Abstract: In an interferometer system, variations of the refractive index in the medium traversed by the measuring beam (123) can be detected by using two measuring beams (123, 125) having wavelengths which differ by a factor of three. For this choice of the wavelength ratio, the interference filters of the polarization elements, such as the beam splitter (127), the .lambda./4 plates (130, 131) and the antireflection coatings can be manufactured relatively easily, and the detection accuracy is increased.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus for step-and-scan imaging of a mask pattern (c) on a substrate (W) is described. The synchronous movement of the mast (MA) and the substrate (W) during scanning is controlled by means of contactless measuring systems, inter alia, interferometer systems (ISR, ISW), while the measuring faces (R.sub.1,r, R.sub.1,w) associated with these systems are formed by faces of the holders (WH, MH) for the substrate (W) and the mask (MA), so that very accurate measurements are possible.

Abstract: Photolithographic apparatus (1) including an illumination unit (3). The illumination unit (3) comprises, in this order, a radiation source unit (11), a first optical system (5) and an optical waveguide (17). The apparatus (1) further includes a second optical system (7) and a mask table (9). The apparatus (1) is adapted in such a way that both the stepper mode and the scanner mode are selectable modi, and comprises means by which the illumination unit (11), when being operative, has a slit-shaped static illumination field with a width s which is variable between s.sub.min and s.sub.max while substantially maintaining energy within the static illumination field.

Abstract: A positioning device is disclosed. The positioning device has a first part and a second part, the second part further has an object table. The second part may be displaced relative to the first part parallel to the XY-plane and may be rotated about the Z-axis by means of three motors. The motors are Lorentz type motors having a permanent magnet system and an electrical coil system cooperating therewith. The electrical coil systems each have windings which are substantially directed parallel to a main axis of the electrical coil system and perpendicular to the Z-axis. According to the invention, the main axis of each of the three motors encloses an angle of substantially 120.degree. with the main axis of each of the two other motors.

Abstract: Illumination unit (2) for an optical system, including an illumination system (1) which comprises, in this order, a radiation source (3) and a first optical integrator (11). The illumination unit (2) further comprises a detection system (45) including a radiation-sensitive detector (47). The illumination system (1) comprises a second optical integrator (13). The two integrators (11, 13) enclose a prism system (15) comprising at least one prism (17). The prism system (15) has a coupling-out surface via which light can be coupled out of the illumination system (1), and an exit surface via which light can be coupled out of the prism system (15), without the intensity in the main light path being essentially influenced. The detection system (45) is arranged proximate to the exit surface of the prism system (15) and comprises light-integrating means.

Abstract: A composite interferometer system has a plurality of X and/or Y measuring axes which co-operate with an X and/or Y measuring mirror arranged on an object. The interferometer system also has at least one Z measuring axis, which extends partly in an XY plane and co-operates with Z measuring mirrors arranged on the object and Z reflectors. Thus, a larger number of more accurate and reliable measurements can be performed with the interferometer system.

Abstract: Two-dimensionally balanced positioning device with two object holders, and lithographic device provided with such a positioning device.A positioning device (3, 97, 179) with a first displacement unit (25, 189) for displacing a first object holder (11, 181) and a second displacement unit (27, 191) for displacing a second object holder (13, 183). The object holders can be displaced by the positioning device alternately from a measuring position into an operational position and can be displaced by the respective displacement units independently of one another in the measuring position and in the operational position.The displacement units are provided with force actuators which each have a first part (47, 49; 117, 119; 215, 217) which is coupled to the relevant object holder and which is displaceable under the influence of a driving force relative to a second part (59, 61; 133, 135, 137, 139; 219, 221) which is fastened to a balancing unit (69, 149, 205) which is common to the two displacement units.

Abstract: A scanning-slit exposure device is provided with a radiation source (1) emitting radiation pulses through an exit window (2). An imaging system (3) images the exit window onto a surface (4) to be exposed by the radiation. The surface is scanned relative to the exit window image in a scan direction. To avoid the banding-type non-uniformities in the exposure, the device comprises a scattering element (12) which scattering element causes a blur of the exit window image only in the scan direction. The scattering element is arranged in the entrance pupil of the imaging system (3).

Abstract: A method is described for repetitively imaging a mask pattern, on separate fields of a substrate (W), for example, for IC manufacture, which substrate fields are positioned without any field-by-field alignment so that the speed of throughput of substrates can be increased. An accurate interferometer system (50, 100, 150) having five measuring axes (MAX.sub.1, MAX.sub.2, MAX.sub.3, MAX.sub.4, MAX.sub.5) is also described, which system is intended in the first instance for use in an apparatus for performing the method, but which can also be used in a more general way in those cases where an object must be measured in five degrees of freedom.